Questions regarding Colt's design choices for SAA
This is not a ".44 vs .45" query.
In the era of percussion cap lock revolvers, Remington's 1858/63 series of 44s (nominal .454-inch) had an effective method of allowing the hammer to rest between chambers and caps. Colt's method to achieve a safe hammer position worked but was much less durable. When Colt created its Single Action Army series, it chose such an inefficient method to allow the hammer to rest safely that the "safe" method became hammer down on empty chamber - in effect, creating a five-shot revolver.
At last to the question. Had Colt incorporated any effective safe hammer position - safety device - with a five-shot chamber, would any sort of powerful 44 (nominal .429-inch) revolver cartridge have had sufficient popularity to survive? I specifically include Winchester's 44-40. And what might have been history had such a safety device been incorporated within Colt's six-shot cylinder configuration?
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I ask these questions because Freedom Arms' Model 97 is a slightly more petite version of the Single Action Army with five-shot cylinder and safety device that achieves the safe hammer rest with more sophisticated method/lock work than is necessary. The result of such configuration allows this revolver to use safely smokeless powder loads that are unsafe in Single Action Armys. . . . Perhaps part of an answer might be that black powder allowed safe use of six-shot cylinder's chamber wall thickness? But that does not really address the hammer safe position issue.
Thats a nice New Frontier
Trouble is that Ruger showed Colt at least 7 years prior that an adjustable sighted single action had a huge following. Going back to the original thread. The Colt safety notch on the hammer was new on the 1873 model and in theory, should have been better. Trouble was that in practice or "the field" its shortcommings were soon noticed. Colt probably never changed it system back then as word of mouth of the 5 shot carry, less lawyers and newer positive lock actions on the New Service, police positive and official police revolvers were coming of age. People are funny, the buyer still wanted to hear 4 distinct clicks when cocking a single action Colt. People still will pay more for a pre-1973 Ruger that is un-altered also and live with the resting under an empty chamber situation. Colt's low priced cowboy model from 1999 to 2003 had the Ruger designed transfer bar and 3 clicks but evidently didn't sell well enough or profits were too small to warrant continued production. No doubt today, that the 1873 single action made by Colt is a grandfathered design and its future rests on the fact the buyer will read the manual and/or will have heard to only load 5 for carry.